2003 FORD F-150 Complaints

ENGINE LIGHT TURNS ON, INTAKE MNANIFOLD GASKET NEEDS TO BE REPLACED ON A 2003 V6 4.2L ENGINE IN A FORD F150. *AK

I PURCHASED A USED 2003 F-150 WITH 38,000 MILES ON IT APROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS AGO. I STARTED NOTICING AN OIL LEAK IN DECEMBER BUT COULD NOT LOCATE WHERE IT CAME FROM. AFTER TRYING TO ADD STOP LEAK TO SEAL IT, I FINALLY BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER. WITH 49,000 MILES ON IT, THE FRONT GASKET AND LEFT HEAD GASKET WERE BAD. THIS SEEMS A LITTLE PREMATURE FOR A FAILURE OF THIS TYPE.

2003 FORD F150 4X4. A HEAVY SNOW STORM HIT NORTHEAST ON 3/16/07. I HAD MY PREGNANT WIFE AND THREE YEAR OLD SON IN TRUCK COMING BACK FROM A DOCTORS APPOINTMENT. THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE DID NOT ENGAGE. WE WERE STUCK FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON EVENT WITH THE FORDS AND THERE SHIFT ON THE FLY 4X4 SYSTEM. I CALLED FORD AND THEY SAID THEY WERE AWARE OF THE ON GOING PROBLEM BUT TOLD ME IT WAS MY PROBLEM. THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE SYSTEM AND AGAIN STATED "IT WAS MY PROBLEM!" THERE ARE MANY DOCUMENTED OCCURENCES YET NOTHING HAS BEEN CORRECTED. TRUCK IS GOING IN FOR REPAIR ON FRIDAY AND MECHANIC STATED IT IS APPROX $500 TO REPAIR. THE VACUUM SOLENIOD AND VACUUM LINES NEED TO BE REPLACED. FORD WAS ALSO AWARE OF THE VACUUM PROBLEM WHEN I SPOKE WITH THEM. VERY FRUSTRATING AND DANGEROUS WITH A FAMILY RELYING ON A 4X4 WHEN NEEDED.

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY THE 2003 FORD F150 WITH 15000 FAILURE MILEAGE WITH HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE HE PUT THE VEHICLE INTO DRIVE AND IT ACCELERATED TO 35 MPH AND STRUCK A TREE. THE DRIVER THEN SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND PUT IT INTO PARK. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP WITH EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. THE CAUSE OF THE ACCELERATION HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *AK UPDATED 03/30/07. *JB

MY VEHICLE IS A 2003 F150 XL. I AWOKE THIS MORNING TO FIND THE CAB OF MY TRUCK FULL OF SMOKE AND THE SMELL OF BURNING PLASTIC. I NOTICED A TRAIL OF SMOKE ORIGINATING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. I IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AND REMOVED THE DASHBOARD AROUND THE STEERING COLUMN. I FOUND EXPOSED WIRING AND MELTED COMPONENTS LEADING INTO THE HIGH-BEAM SELECTOR LEVER. *NM

WHILE BRAKING THE VEHICLE JERKS AS IF THE ABS ENGAGES AND RELEASES CONTINUOUSLY THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLE BROKE COMPLETE OFF, CABLE AND COVERING. AFTER REPLACING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLE I STEPPED ON EMERGENCY BRAKE WHEN I PARKED, HEARD A POP AND LATER WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE REAR LEFT WHEEL WOULD GRAB MAKING A GRINDING SOUND AND SLOWING THE VEHICLE. WAS ABLE TO GET TO A GARAGE WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE PADS HAD BROKEN OFF AND WERE BINDING THE BRAKING SYSTEM. *JB

THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURANCE THAT I HAVE HAD A OIL SEAL OR GASKET ON THE ENGINE AFTER DRIVING 80 +MILE PER HOUR. I HAD MY TRUCK LESS THAN THREE YEARS. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED IT VIBRATE WHEN REACHING THE SPEED MENTIONED. *NM

WHILE DRIVING I BEGAN TO DOWNSHIFT BUT WAS UNABLE. THE STICK WAS REAL LOOSE AND I COULD NOT FIND THE GEARS. THE ANALOGY (IT WAS LIKE A BROKEN ARM IT JUST WOBBLED) THIS WAS SCARY NOT KNOWING HOW TO GET MY TRUCK (FORD EXPLORER,SPORT TRAC) IN GEAR. I MANIPULATED THE SHIFT AND FINALLY GOT IT TO FIRST AND PARKED IT. THE SHIFT HAD TO BE MOVED WAY RIGHT OR WAY LEFT TO ACCOMPLISH THIS PROCESS OF GEAR CHANGING. GUESSING WHAT GEAR YOUR IN IS NOT WHAT I WANT WHILE DRIVING. TOOK IT TO THE PATTCHETTS FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENT. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE BOLTS THAT HELD THE SHIFT IN PLACE HAD WORKED THERE WAY LOOSE AND THAT ."IT WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE"RONNIE, SERVICE MANAGER STATED. RONNIE STATED THAT WAS ALSO COMMON FOR THE SHORT STICK MUSTANGS. THIS IS REAL UNSAFE FOR ANYONE WHO HAS THIS OCCURRENCE HAPPEN TO THEM. *NM

ON 11-21-06, ONE OF OUR EMPLOYEES, WAS ACCELERATING ONTO THE FREEWAY AND REALIZED THAT THE THROTTLE LINKAGE ON HIS 2003 FORD F150 WAS STUCK. HE HAD TO PUT THE F150 IN NEUTRAL AND PULL OVER TO SAFELY STOP (THE ENGINE WAS RACING UNTIL HE TURNED IT OFF). HE FOUND THAT THERE IS A PLASTIC, TWO-PIECE COVER AROUND THE THROTTLE LINKAGE THAT HAD COME UNSNAPPED ON ITS UNDERSIDE AND HAD APPARENTLY CAUSED THE PROBLEM. HE REPLACED THE COVER. THIS PROBLEM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE A SEVERE, PERHAPS FATAL, DEFECT. *JB

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK, MY F-150, 5.4 LITER ENGINE BLEW OUT A SPARK PLUG. THE REPAIR COST IS IN EXCESS OF $4000. THE AFFECTED ALUMINUM CYLINDER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURE DOES NOT COVER THE ROUTINE TIGHTENING / INSPECTION OF SPARK PLUGS DURING THE PERIODIC 30K, 60K SERVICES EVEN THOUGH THEY (THE DEALER) KNOWS THAT THERE IS A DESIGN PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE. THE DESIGN PROBLEM STEMS FROM A MINIMUM AMOUNT OF THREADS TO HOLD THE SPARK PLUG IN PLACE. THE 5.4 LITER ENGINE IS A POWERFUL ENGINE THAT NECESSITATES A THICKER AND LONGER WELL TO TORQUE AND HOLD THE SPARK PLUGS IN PLACE. THE INTERNET IS FILLED COMPLAINTS MADE BY FORD CONSUMERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME TYPE OF PROBLEMS ON FORD ENGINES. *NM